Rotary raking wheel



ROTARY RAKING WHEEL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Nov; 9, 1953 IN V EN TOR;i

c. VAN DER LELY ETAL 2,909,023

Oct. 20, 1959 ROTARY RAKINGj WI-IEEL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Nov. 9, 1353 Fig.3

INVENTO vFor example, the axle may members to adjust themselves individually ROTARY RAKING WHEEL Cornelis van der Lely and Ary van der Lely, Maasland, Netherlands, assignors, by mesne assignments, to C. van der Lely Canada Ltd., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, a corporation of Canada Original application November 9, 1953, Serial No. 390,981, now Patent No. 2,860,478, dated November 18, 1958. 1958, Serial No. 766,962

-- 15 Claims. (Cl. 565-377) This invention. relates to raking members, and more particularly to raking members for use in raking devices having a mobile frame and a substantially horizontal axle upon which one or more'raking members are mounted at an angle to the direction of movement of the vided which permit variation of the elevation of the axle carrying the raking member in its relation to the frame. be formed by the crankpin of a crank rotatably mounted on the frame. The use of such arr-arrangement. in a device having a plurality of raking members arranged in a row will permit the raking with respect to elevation so that a row of raking members is adaptable to substantial unevenness in the terrain. Existing devices depend upon deflection of the circumferential teeth of the raking members for their adaptation to small irregularities or unevenness in the terrain. However, when the teeth of existing raking members undergo even a relatively small deflection, their ability to displace the substance lying on the ground in the desired direction is diminished or lost as the deflected teeth, being less vertical in their position, tend to drag over therakable substance.

. Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide raking members or raking wheels particularly adapted for use on a raking deviceas described and having teeth capable of a high degree of deflection without losing or diminishing their ability to carry along the rakable substance.

In accordance with the invention, the above objective is realized by providing means which retain the teeth of the raking member in favorable positions to perform their raking function, whether the teeth are in a normal condition, or in a substantially deflected condition.

The foregoing characteristic in raking wheels embodying this, invention results in the following advantages:

(a) The raking wheels provide a more eflicient raking operation resulting in a smaller loss of the rakable substance or material since less material will remain on the ground following passage of the raking device;

(b) Very uneven terrain may be worked effectively;

The raking device requires a smaller'number of raking members or wheels for the same width than normally necessary in conventional raking members and as a result is less expensive; and

(d) The axles of the raking members may be rigidly secured to the frame of the raking device since the adaptation of the raking members to the contours of the ground can be eifected solely by deflection of the teeth,

Divided and thisapplication October 13,-

United SW P t f 2,909,023 Batented 210, 1959 rather than by: bodily displacement of the raking members as heretofore.

Still further objects, features, advantages and details of the present invention will appear in the following description which is to be read in' connection with the accompanying drawings. in which various embodiments of the invention have been illustrated by way of example.

' member constructed in accordance with this invention.

' Figure 3 is a sectional viewjof the raking member shown in Figure 2 through section line 3-3 in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a sectional view similar to Figure 3, but illustrating a modification of the raking member shown in Figure 2. i p

Referring to the drawings in detail and initially to Figure 1, a side delivery rake of the kind on which raking members constructed in accordance with the present inventionare to be employed,"there is' shown a frame formed by'an elongated beam 1 extending obliquelywith respect to'the normal direction of movementof the device, as indicated by the arrow 2. Four parallel axles 3, 4, 5 and 6 are rigidly secured to the beam 1 and extend therefrom substantiallyhorizontally The axles 3, 4, 5 and 6 carry rotatable raking members7, '8, 9 and 10, respectively. v p

The end axles 3 and 6 carry running wheels 11 and 12 which support the frame and maintain the, latter atv a predetermined elevation above the ground. The wheels 11 and 12 are preferably'self-adjusting or swivel wheels which may, if desired, be locked in any position. An adjustable draw arm. 13' is hingedly connected to the beam 1 permitting anarc of movement relative to the latter in a substantially horizontal plane. The arm 13 may belocked in any desired angular position relative to the beam 1 by'means of a rod 14 which, at one of its ends, is hingedly connected to the arm 13 and has an aperture 15 at its free end. The rod 14 may be arranged with its aperture 15 above any ofthe corresponding apertures provided in member .16 secured to beam 1. Thus the rod 14 may be secured in a position by means of a pin or boltextending through the aperture of the rod 14 and the aligned aperture of member 16.

' In the raking member shown in Figure 2, a rim'44,

having a number of apertures 47 radiallytherethrough, is

rigidly connected to a disc 43 by means ofspokes 76. The raking member is provided with a hub 42 which carries the disc 43. Both the rim 44 and the disc 43 are circular and are concentric with the hub 42. A plurality of steel wires are secured to the inner side of rim 44 at 78. A firstportion, comprising a first torsion means 77, of each .of said steel wires extends inwardly toward the disc 43. However, before reaching the disc 43, the wire portion 77 is reverted or bent'back approximately 180 degrees and a second portion, offthe steel wire, forming a second torsion means extends back to' the rim 44 and through an aperture 47 said rim, each'of said apertures 47 functioning as a bearing means for one torsion means 75.

As a result of this construction each torsion means 75, insofar as its torsional stiffness is concerned behaves approximately like a resilient rod whichv is rigidly -fixed at one end and has a length equal to the sum of the lengths of both portions :75 and 77. Immediately, beyond the rim '44 each steel wire is bent substantially at'right anglesto extend outwardly substantially tangential to the rim 44 and thereby forming a supporting member 73 for the raking topth 71. It will be seen that each steel wire (comprising a tooth 71, a supporting member 73',"secondtorsieh riieansdi and first torsion means 77) in Figure 2 has a sharp bend at substantially right angles between, the, teeth 7,1 v and the related g supporting mem- "ber 73 The' r'aking'tooth7 1 thus extends outwardly with respectto the raking memher. N

' For 'clarificajtionjof language contained in the claims,

,it is to ,be not'edthat first. torsion rneans 7.7, Sheena torsion 1 rneans75,siipporting member 73, and tooth 71 comprise the'first portion, second portion,,third portion, and fourth .Po ion, respectivelyof each'fr'esilie'nt rod.

' f Iii order'to keep, the teethi71 situated in a single plane wlien not underilo'a'd, anlabutment (not shown) may be provided 'on-thenim' A4 against which .the supporting members 73 may rest as'a result of a relativelysmall torsional prestressingofthe. torsion: means :75.

" "I'n' embodiment ojfithe "inve nqnjnd provision is made for preventing the penetration oflbrealrable subfstanceirom name 71 into -thespace ,between adjacent Tsi ppo rtiugmembers 73. When the raking member is adjusted so" asito be disposed at a favorable elevation above the ground, the teeth 71 will engagelonly a small quantity of rakable substance since the greater part of. "therakable' substance is" displaced by the rim 4-4 and by parts "of theraking member located within the This small' quantity of rakable substance .engaged by the teeth 71d'rops ,fromjthe latter before the teeth 71 and related'supporting'member 73 have reached a position inwhich' the raked material could move downward along thesii'pporting members 7310 the 44. M In order'to keep the teeth 71 situated in a single plane so'long as they manor under load and therefore not deflected, 'it is desirable to" provide abutment on the rim 44 (not shown) against which the supporting members 73 rest'as a result of relativelysmall torsional prestressing of the torsion means 75. i W l i V In the preferred embodiment of this invention, the disc and rim members liein' difierent'planes as shown in-Figure 3. Thus it will be noted from Figure 3 that the raking member is disposed laterally withthe hub 42 being forward of the rim '44 a'nd'each being spa'ced in distinct but parallel planes. In the embodiment of Figure 4, wherein the various parts are identified by the same reference numerals employed in connection with the corresponding parts in Figures 2 and 3, butwith the letter A appended thereto,

"the various parts of the'raking mernbers of Figure 4 are all disposed'in' substantially one radial plane. Thus in Figure 4, the 44A, the first torsion means 77A, the second torsion means 75A, the supporting members 73A, the spokes 76A, the raking teeth 71 are all disposed in the radial plane passing through the disc 43A of the m gmv b e 'The'raking members illustrated in the drawings present supporting members for the raking teeth which, if not coplanar with the rim, are directed forward in the direction of rotation. Howeven'it is also possible that the supportingmernbers may be directed backwards.

It will be understo'od'that the supporting members need not be rectilinear; "A curved form may be advantageous 'in certain cases. Numerous other variations in the described construction are possible.

The above description and drawings disclose a single embodiment of the invention, and specific language has been employed in describing the several figures. It will, nevertheless,'-be understood that no limitations of the scope ofthe invention are thereby contemplated, and that various alterations and modifications may be made such'a's would'occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates. i

We claim:

1. A raking member comprising a hub rotatable about an axis, a rim member having radial openings therethrough, said rim member being outwardly spaced from said hub and substantially concentric therewith, spoke amid o sai J m mb rs ene a a an 1 saidsecondportion and said resilient rods each .having a fourth raking ,portion extending outwardlysfrom said third portion.

2. Arakingrnember according toclaim 1 wherein the part of said resilient rodcornprising said .first and said secondportions thereof is substantially U-shaped, each of said second portions of said resilient rods extending through an opening in said rim member adjacent to where said rim member and the fi 'rst portion of the same related resilient rod are associated.

3. A raking member according to claim '1 wherein the parts of said resilient rod comprising said first and said second portions thereof are torsion means for said third portion and said fourth raking portion of said resilient rods whereby said latter portionsof said resilient rods are permitted an arc of movement.

4. A raking member according to claim 1 wherein said third portion of each of said resilient rods is substantially atright angles relative to said second portion.

' 5. A raking member according toclaim 1 wherein said fourth raking portion of eachof said resilient rods extends outward in respect tosaid rim member and. at

substantially a right angle to the related said third portion by an appreciable restoring force.

7. A raking member according to claim 6 wherein the third portions of said resilient rods are disposed for pivotal movement from said first and second portions of said resilient rod.

8. A raking member according to claim 6 wherein abutments are provided against which the third portions of said resilient rods rest under the action of said prestressing. v

9. A raking member comprising a hub rotatable about an axis, a rim member having radial openings therethrough, said rim member being spaced outwardly from said hub and substantially concentric therewith, a disc member rigidly connected to said hub-and substantially concentric therewith, spoke means each rigidly'connected at one end to said disc and at the other end to said rim member, resilient rods, and means rigidly connecting one end of each of said rmilient rods to said rim meniber, each of said resilient rods having a first portion extending inwardly from said clamp means for a distance less than the radius of said rim members, each of said resilient rods having a second portion extending outwardly from the inboard end of said first portion and through an opening in said rim member adjacent said clamp member, each of said resilient rods having a third portion extending outwardly substantially tangentially to said rim member and substantially at a right angle to the second portion thereof, and each of said resilient rods having a fourth portion extending outwardly from .said rim and substantially at a right angle to the third portion thereof, each of said fourth portions being the raking teeth of said raking members. i

10. A raking member according to claim 9 wherein said means rigidly connect one end of each of said resilient rods to the inside of said rim member. I

11. A raking member according to claim 9 wherein the part of said resilient rods comprising said first and second portions thereof are substantially U-shaped.

12. raking member according to claim 11 wherein said first and second portions of said resilient rods form torsion means for said third and fourth portions thereof whereby said latter portions of said resilient rods are permitted an arc of movement.

13. A raking member according to claim 12 wherein an axis for the aforesaid arc of movement is substantially parallel to said first and second portions of said resilient rods.

14. A raking member comprising a hub rotatable about an axis, a rim member having radial openings therethrough, said rim member being outwardly spaced from said hub and substantially concentric therewith, spoke members interconnecting said hub and said rim member, at least one rod aflixed at one end to said rim member, said rod having a resilient portion inboard of said rim, said rod having a raking tooth supporting portion extending outwardly from said resilient portion and from said rim member through one of said openings therein, said rod having a raking tooth portion extending outwardly from said raking tooth supporting portion.

15. A raking member comprising: a central portion having a hub and a rim rotatable about an axis, rod securing means disposed between said hub and said rim member, and spokes interconnecting said hub and said rim member; a raking tooth; at least one resilient rod secured to said central portion by said rod securing means, said resilient rod being associated within said central portion with said rim at at least two locations and being substantially U-shaped therebetween, said resilient rod having at least one portion comprising supporting means for said raking tooth extending outwardly and at an angle from said rim member, and a further portion of said resilient rod comprising the aforementioned raking tooth extending outwardly at an angle from said resilient rods first mentioned portion comprising a supporting member for the raking tooth.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Stenzel Nov. 1, 1949 Krause Sept. 22, 1953 West July 19, 1955 

